


Buskers

by mistyzeo



Series: Holiday Ficlets 2010 [10]
Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-01
Updated: 2010-12-01
Packaged: 2017-10-15 04:01:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/156851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mistyzeo/pseuds/mistyzeo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Buskers, for <a href="http://toronja.livejournal.com/profile"><img/></a><a href="http://toronja.livejournal.com/"><b>toronja</b></a></p>
            </blockquote>





	Buskers

Every Saturday, Jared goes to the farmer's market near his house to buy produce. It's a tradition that his parents started for him, taking him to the market near them when he was a kid, and even though he stopped going while he was in college, too broke to afford nice local foods, the minute he got a steady job afterwards he was looking for a new market.

The market takes place from April until November, and Jared's walk takes him through a small neighborhood park that illustrates the changing of the seasons to an almost disgustingly beautiful degree. In the spring, the trees are all budding green and pink, and parents are out with their kids still bundled up like it's cold out. In the summer the park is shrouded in shade and dappled with bright, hot sunlight, and Jared almost wishes he were a shorts kind of man, so he could enjoy every moment of it. In the autumn the leaves turn shockingly red and orange and blanket the ground, and Jared loves the mornings when he has to wear a wool sweater and he can see his breath on the air.

The second spring of Jared's attendance at the market brings with it a busker. Jared spots him at the edge of the park just before the market, where the street is blocked off for the stalls and the shoppers, sitting on a bench playing a guitar. Jared walks past quickly, not very good with people asking for money, and does his shopping. On the way home, the guy manages to catch his eye again, and as Jared passes the guy looks up, still playing, and winks at him.

Jared goes home slightly in shock. The guy is fucking _gorgeous_ , all green eyes and freckles, his face warm and open as he sings. His voice is good too, smoke and honey, and Jared could hear him for half a block. Jared wants a better look, and he spends all week hoping the guy will be there again this week.

He is. This time Jared pauses to listen, and realizes the guy is playing one of his favorite songs, and the cover is better than the original. The guy smiles when he sees Jared, and he directs his song a little more deliberately at him. Jared stands there for five minutes, just listening, letting the sound of the guy's voice wash over him. When the musician finishes up with a final chord and a flourish, Jared grins awkwardly and tosses a dollar into the hat at his feet.

The guy's expression goes a little cloudy, but then he smiles again and says, "Thanks, man."

Jared sees him playing three more times, and each time he gets a little bolder. The guy (Jensen, he learns) doesn't seem to mind—in fact, he appears to welcome the idle chatter Jared can come up with—and Jared loves the sound of his voice when he's talking just as much as when he's singing. Jensen will put his guitar aside and get up, and Jared secretly relishes the moment he stretches his arms over his head and Jared gets a flash of skin between t-shirt and jeans.

Finally Jared works up the courage to ask him out, since he doesn't seem like a vagrant the way Jared had originally pegged him—he's clean, for one thing, and he waves at people pleasantly as if they know each other. But Jensen's not at his usual spot when Jared goes that Saturday, and Jared spends the whole week oddly disappointed.

Jensen's back in place the week after, and Jared almost loses his nerve as he approaches.

"Morning Jared!" Jensen calls when he spots him.

"Hey," Jared says. "Where'd you disappear to?"

"I had a thing," Jensen says, shrugging and strumming idly. "Why, you miss me?"

"Will you let me buy you dinner?" Jared asks abruptly, thinking _now or never._

Jensen pauses, raising an eyebrow. He laughs, clearly uncomfortable, and Jared's heart falls. "That's kind of you," Jensen says, "but—I have a day job, actually—uh, the money's for an animal shelter. I don't need you to—"

"No," Jared says quickly, recovering, "I mean. Let me take you out to dinner." He hopes his offer is more clear, and he finds himself twisting his empty shopping bag around his hands.

"Oh," Jensen says, brightening. " _Oh._ Yeah. Hell yeah. I'd like _that_."

Jared beams. "Tonight all right?"

Jensen sets aside his guitar and stands, and before Jared can react he's stepping into Jared's space and kissing him softly, tentatively, on the mouth. In the time it takes Jared to realize what's happening and start to react, Jensen's pulling away and smiling. "I'm free tonight," he says. "It's a date."

♥ ♥ ♥


End file.
